If you’ve ever watched surfers—as I did last week in Los Angeles—you noticed they paddle around more than they actually surf. They scan the horizon and duck under broken waves as they wait their turn. Watching three surfers hang loose off of Venice Beach made me realize that mindfulness is like surfing. On the occasional …
Some years ago, neuroscientists performed a study that confirmed some of meditation’s most powerful benefits. They hooked two groups of people up to an MRI machine and applied heat to their forearm. The first group were people who had never meditated before or only a few times. The second group were expert meditators who had …
Read more “Meditation calms the part of the brain associated with anxiety”
As a new meditation teacher, I’m evangelical about the practice, asking just about everyone whether they’ve tried it. “No, I think too much,” is the most common answer. Or something like, “I gave up because I couldn’t clear my mind.” I want to grab their shoulders and shake them — but that wouldn’t be so on-brand of …
Read more “Do you think too much? That’s exactly why you should meditate.”